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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
A friend recommended GEISHA, A LIFE to me, and shared the history of how it came into being. Forever fascinated by Asian culture and literature, it took very little to convince me to read it. I personally loved reading about Ms. Iwasaki's life, and gaining an extremely detailed and vivid insight into the true world of being a geisha. It has only further cemented my desire to travel to Japan one day, and has helped me gain a whole new appreciation and respect for the beautiful traditions of Kyoto and Japan.
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
This book was okay. There were parts that were really interesting, a handful that were funny, most were fine, and the last chunk was boring. I think on average, the book was fine.
Very interesting. I learned a lot. But i didn't like her affair. Or how she didn't include pictures or how much she loved her husband. She included so much about Toshio, but almost nothing of her husband.
I have such mixed feelings about Geisha, A Life. As so many others that have come to read Mineko Iwasaki's account of her life as geisha, I read and watched Arthur Golden's Memoirs of A Geisha first. Apparently, Golden interviewed Iwasaki extensively, promising confidentiality, and used her story for much of his fictional work. When Golden revealed her identity in his acknowledgements, as well as misconstrued parts of a geisha's life, Iwasaki sued him and the publisher settled with Iwasaki.
I found much of Geisha, A Life to be an informative look into a culture I knew very little about. And, I found living through Iwasaki's memories alongside her to be quite interesting. However, I was often put off by Iwasaki's attitude. She is often harsh in her judgement of, well just about every single person in her life. However, though admitting she has made mistakes, she glosses over her indiscretions and mistakes and implies she shouldn't be judged for those choices or areas of her life. She isn't remorseful for any of her spoiled actions and reactions, yet expects ultimate perfection from others. This attitude is prevalent through the entire book and is tiresome. And, honestly, makes me pause to consider on what exactly she and Arthur Golden agreed upon. Perhaps there is more to this story, as well? I feel as if Iwasaki's book is a reactionary dialogue to Golden's book, written in a flourish, piecing together bits to hit back rather than fully examine the life of a geisha.
I listened to this book on audio; however, I picked up a hard copy at the library to look through the photos. I definitely recommend doing the same to readers who choose audio.
I found much of Geisha, A Life to be an informative look into a culture I knew very little about. And, I found living through Iwasaki's memories alongside her to be quite interesting. However, I was often put off by Iwasaki's attitude. She is often harsh in her judgement of, well just about every single person in her life. However, though admitting she has made mistakes, she glosses over her indiscretions and mistakes and implies she shouldn't be judged for those choices or areas of her life. She isn't remorseful for any of her spoiled actions and reactions, yet expects ultimate perfection from others. This attitude is prevalent through the entire book and is tiresome. And, honestly, makes me pause to consider on what exactly she and Arthur Golden agreed upon. Perhaps there is more to this story, as well? I feel as if Iwasaki's book is a reactionary dialogue to Golden's book, written in a flourish, piecing together bits to hit back rather than fully examine the life of a geisha.
I listened to this book on audio; however, I picked up a hard copy at the library to look through the photos. I definitely recommend doing the same to readers who choose audio.
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Memoirs of a Geisha was one of my favorite books and movies for many years. I never looked into the truth behind the story, which was written by a white man who interviewed Mineko and publicized their private conversation while twisting the truth. If you haven't read or seen Memoirs of a Geisha, I'd encourage you to read Mineko's true account of her life, and what transpired between the two after his success, before doing so.
That said, I'm disappointed it took me so long to read this book. I have been enamored by Japanese culture for a long time, so much so that I will begin taking Japanese studies at PSU in the fall, and moving there is on my bucket list. We (Americans) could learn so much from them, and I learned a lot from this book, from their words for things, to historical places to see, and a piece of their culture that had never been shared publicly. I loved this book and I'll definitely be reading it again.
That said, I'm disappointed it took me so long to read this book. I have been enamored by Japanese culture for a long time, so much so that I will begin taking Japanese studies at PSU in the fall, and moving there is on my bucket list. We (Americans) could learn so much from them, and I learned a lot from this book, from their words for things, to historical places to see, and a piece of their culture that had never been shared publicly. I loved this book and I'll definitely be reading it again.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
It took me longer than usual to finish this cause I've been in a book slump :( I read Memoirs of a Geisha in middle school and it was one of my favorite books, then I found out that the guy who wrote it was white???? ANYWAYS, I found this book so interesting! She led such an interesting life!
Very interesting life story!
I think this type of tale shows the tenacity of a disciplined life.
The reason it loses a few stars is that it does seem really repetitive and inthink the editors and translators could have caught that before publishing just to give the book a more polished feel.
I think this type of tale shows the tenacity of a disciplined life.
The reason it loses a few stars is that it does seem really repetitive and inthink the editors and translators could have caught that before publishing just to give the book a more polished feel.